Tiltable couch for x-ray diagnosing purposes



0a. 31, 1939; E. PQHL 2.177.808

TILTABLE COUCH FOR X-RAY DIAGNOSING PURPOSES Filed July 12, 1933' '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 //2 mental;

. 6 7 0/76 BY W /M Attorney-r.

.Oct. 31, 1939. E. POHL 2.177.808

TILTABLE CQUCH FOR XRAY DIAGNOSING' PURPOSES Filed July 12., 1938 3 s t 3 Int enlar- Attorneyw.

Patented Oct. 31, 1939 TILTABLE COUCH FOR X-RAY DIAGNOSING PURPOSES Ernst Pohl, Kiel, Germany Application July 12, 1938, Serial No. 218,890 In Germany September 18, 1935 8 Claims.

This invention relates to X-ray apparatus for diagnosing purposes having a tiltable couch and an appliance carriage associated with the couch in such manner that the carriage is slidable to 5 gether with the appliances. longitudinally of the couch and the appliances are at least partly displaceable relatively to the carriage in a direction substantially perpendicular to the couch. In apparatus of this type it is necessary to counterbalance the weight of the carriage and the appliances for the longitudinal movement, when the couch is in its erected position, as well as the weight of the appliances for their movement relative to the carriage, when the couch is tilted down. Hitherto this counterbalancing of the carriage together with the appliances on the one hand and of the appliances alone on the other hand has been effected by separate counterweights. According to the invention, a portion of the known counterpoise which as a whole is movable longitudinally of the couch and, with the couch in the erected position, counterbalances the Weight of the appliancev carriage with the. appliances, is movably guided on the main portion and serves, with the couch in the tilted down position, for counterbalancing the weight of the appliances capable of being displaced perpendicularly to the couch. In this way a separate counterpoise for the appliances is dispensed with and consequently the total weight is much reduced.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by several constructional examples, corresponding parts bearing the same references.

Fig. 1 shows a complete apparatus more or less diagrammatically in side elevation with the couch tilted down.

Fig. 2 shows another constructional form of the couch only with the appliance carriage seen from the back and in the erected position, all appliances and their partial counterpoises being omitted.

Fig. 3 shows the same couch in side elevation, the screen and slide holder and its counterpoise being also represented.

Fig. 4 shows a further constructional form of the couch with special balancing means for two appliances supported by the carriage, also in erected position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view from-behind.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the screen and slide holder connected with its counterpoise by an endless chain.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view of a special counterbalancing suspension of the appliance carriage with the counterbalancing chains arranged in a plane parallel to that of the couch, only the carriage as a Whole and the balancing weight as a whole being represented.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 a carriage 3 for the appliances is guided in a known'manner on the couch I, which is mounted on the foot 2I so as to be capable of being tilted about the pivot 2. The carriage 3 for the appliances, more particularly for the X-ray tube and for the screen and slide holder I, is guided by means of the rollers 55 and the movable counterpoise 5, 6 is guided by the rollers I6. The carriage 3 and the counterpoise 5, 6 are connected with one another, so as to move in opposite directions, by an endless chain 4 running over pulleys. I I, I Ia mounted on brackets I I I, I I la near the ends of the couch If The total weight of the counterpoise 5, 6 is such that, with the couch I in a more or less erected position, it will balance the weight of the ap pliance carriage 3 and the appliances carried thereby. With respect to the pivotal point 2 the appliance carriage and the counterpoise 5, 6 will also substantially balance one another at every longitudinal position of the appliance carriage, owing to the opposite movements thereof.

The part 6 of the counterpoise ismovable perpendicularly to the couch by means of rollers H which engage a guide bar I2 provided on the part 5 of the counterpoise. The counterpoise portion 5 is connected by a lever B, pivotally attached at 9 to a supporting arm Ill provided on The lever B is provided with a" effected, and a roller at the other end of the lever B engages in a slotted guide I4 provided on the screen holder I, which allows for the circular motion of the lever end.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent an arrangement, in which the connection of the counterpoises withthe parts to be counterbalanced is established entirely by chains. In this case all guiding pulleys II, Ila for the counterbalance chain 4 are disposed below the appliance carriage 3, when the couch is erected, so that the upper part of the reverse side of thecouch I is kept free for other chains. The chains 4 engageat 32 the cross member 3| of a longitudinal outrigger or offset part of the carriage 3. The cross member 3| is guided by rollers We on longitudinal rails 33 of the couch, so that in addition only two guide rollers iii are required on the appliance carriage itself.

As shown in Fig. 3, the supporting arm la of the screen and slide holder 1 is guided by rollers [8 in a tube ll fixed to the carriage 3. A chain 23 attached to the arm la at 22 extends over pulleys 2G, 25, 26 and over the screen counterpoise 5 to the main weight 5, to which it is fixed at 27. The counterpoise i3 is arranged to be capable of displacement in a pair of bow members 28, so that with the couch tilted down it counterbalances the Weight of the screen and slide holder 1. Owing to the suspension in a loop of the chain 23, it is only necessary to provide for the counterpoise B a freedom of movement, which is half the freedom of movement of the screen and slide holder. In this case the counterpoise 6 will of course be twice the weight of the slide holder, but, to make up for this, the weight 5 my be correspondingly less, so that there is no difference in the total weight.

In the arrangement according to Fig. 4., when the couch which is shown in its erected position is turned down, the screen and slide holder l and an X-ray tube 29a disposed opposite the upper side of the couch (to the right in the figure) are counterbalanced in the direction perpendicular to the couch by parts of the counterpoise which is displaceable on the under side of the couch (to the left in the figure). The screen i and its counterpoise 8 will in this case move each time by the same amount, as the chain 23 is attached with its ends directly to both parts at 22 and ri l. When the couch is tilted down, the X-ray tube 28a is also supported by a pull element 35 which is attached at 36 to the bar 59 supporting the X-ray tube and leads over the pulleys 3T, 38, 39, 48 and the weight Ga which is guided in the bow member 28a to the point ll of the counterpoise 5. In the case of two-armed slide carriers two chains are arranged, one to the right and one to the left of the tiltable couch.

In Fig. 5 a two-sided screen holder which for the rest is similar to that of Fig. 3 is shown, viewed obliquely from the back. On the carriage l the two-sided screen supporting arms 7a which are closed in the manner of a bow by the cross bar lb is supported so as to be forwardly and backwardly dispiaceable in the guiding tubes t? of the frame l2 which is guided by the rollers 48 so as to be laterally displaceable. A tube cross t3, Ml, 45 is guided, so as to be capable of displacement in the direction of the rays, with the tube l-5 on a backwardly directed arm M fixed on the carriage 3, which guiding means might also be duplicated. The transverse bar lb extends through the tube l3 and slides therein, when the frame 12 is moved laterally with respect to the carriage 3. At the two ends of the tube G3 are the points of attachment 22 of the chains 23 which run over the pulleys 2G, 25. Owing to this arrangement, the points 2?? are kept in the correct relative position to the chain guiding pulleys 24, when the frame a2 is laterally displaced. The pulleys 25 are fixed on a shaft 55 which ensures that the two chains 23 will keep in step and consequently the parallel displacement of the screen. Instead of this a connection of the pulleys 2'3 by a shaft might be provided.

In Fig. 6 an arrangement is shown, in which a positive motion of the screen holder I and its counterpoise 6 in both directions is ensured. For this purpose a single endless chain is used, one portion 23 of which leads from the point of attachmerit 22 at the screen supporting bar la over the pulleys 2d, 25, 26 to the point 34 of the counterpoise 6, and the other portion 23a leads from the point of attachment 5? of the supporting bar la over pulleys 5B, 59, 59, Si, 52 to the point 63 of the counterpoise 6. The pulley 56 is journalled at the end of an outrigger 64 of the appliance carriage, and the pulley 62 at the end of an outrigger 65 of the counterpoise 5.

In the constructional form shown diagrammatically in Fig. '7, which is fundamentally the same as the arrangement according to Fig. 2, the outrigger 3! is not a frame, as in the former case, but a simple bar which is held between the inner closely adjacent stretches of the chains l, which are in a common plane parallel to the couch and the outer stretches of which are attached to suspension bars 65 which carry the counterpoise 5. Through the outrigger bar 30 being guided between the chain pulleys Ha, the special guiding rollers l5a provided in Fig. 2 become superfluous.

The arrangement for counterbalancing the main weight in accordance with Fig. '7 is of general importance for tiltable X-ray apparatus used for diagnosing purposes, even when not a part of the counterpoise, for the appliance carriage with the appliances serves the purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the appliances when the couch is tilted down.

I claim:

1. A tiltable couch for X-ray diagnosing purposes having an appliance carriage shiftable longitudinally of the couch, appliances mounted on said carriage, at least one of said appliances being movable substantially perpendicular to said couch, a counterpoise for counterbalancing the weight of said carriage and appliances when the couch is in erected position, means connecting said counterpoise with the carriage for opposed motion, a portion of said counterpoise being movable back and forth relatively to the main poise body, and means connecting said counterpoise portion with said relatively movable appliance for opposed motion.

2. A tiltable couch for X-ray diagnosing purposes having an appliance carriage shiftable longitudinally of the couch, appliances mounted on said carriage, at least one of said appliances being movable substantially perpendicular to said couch,

a counterpoise for counterbalancing the weight of said carriage and appliances when the couch is in erected position, means connecting said counterpoise with the carriage for opposed longitudinal motion, a portion of said counterpcise being movable transversely of the movement of the main poise body, a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on said carriage and engaging with one end said counterpcise portion and with the other end said perpendicularly movable appliance.

3. A tiltable couch as claimed in claim 2, having guiding means for said main poise body, guiding means for said portion 01' the ccunterpoise, said guiding means being in engagement with each other and said poise portion having a longitudinal guideway in engagement with one end of said lever.

4. A tiltable couch for X-ray diagnosing purposes having an appliance carriage shiftable longitudinally of the couch, appliances mounted on said carriage, at least one of said appliances being movable substantially perpendicular to said couch, a counterpoise for counterbalancing the weight of said carriage and appliances when the couch is in. erected position, an endless chain connecting said carriage and counterpoise for opposed motion, a portion of said counterpoise beingmovable transversely of the movement of the main poise body, said chain being arranged in the lower portion of thecouch when erected, said carriage having a rigid extension for connection with said chain, and means connecting said counterpoise portion with said perpendicularly movable appliance for opposed motion.

5. A tiltable couch for X-ray diagnosing purposes having an appliance carriage shiftable longitudinally of the couch, appliances mounted on said carriage, at least one of said appliances being movable substantially perpendicular to said couch, a counterpoise for counterbalancing the weight of said carriage and appliances when the couch is in erected position, means connecting said counterpoise with the carriage for opposed motion, a portion of said counterpoise being movable transversely of the movement of the main poise body, and a chain connecting said appliance and counterpoise portion for opposed motion, guide rollers for said chain being provided at the carriage, at the main body of the counterpoise and at the ends of the couch.

6. A tiltable couch for X-ray diagnosing purposes having an appliance carriage shiftable longitudinally of the couch, appliances mounted on said carriage, a plurality of said appliances being movable substantially perpendicular to said couch, a counterpoise for balancing the weight of said carriage and appliances when the couch is in erected position, means connecting said counterpoise with the carriage for opposed motion, portions of said counterpoise being movable transversely of the movement of the main poise body; and means connecting each of said less chains connecting said carriage and counterpoise, said endless chains being arranged in the lower portion of the couch when erected and in a plane parallel to the plane of the couch and with their inner stretches in close mutual proximity, a supporting bar extending down-' wardly from said carriage and connected to the inner chain stretches at corresponding points.

8. A tiltable couch as claimed in claim 7 wherein an upper and lower pair of guide pulleys for said chains are provided, said upper pulleys being in guiding engagement with said supporting bar.

ERNST POI-IL. 

